I know this has been asked before but I am not seeing it in the forum. So I'll just ask again. Wanting to install an Onan generator soon and was wondering others opinions between the 5500 and 6500 models. Is it worth the extra money to get the 6500 or will the 5500 work? Also I'm not sure on getting gasoline or propane. I was told propane is more efficient and lasts longer compared to gasoline. True? Thanks for the help.

Hello Jeff,

When I was looking into the same addition, I asked the same question on the forums and received many different answers. I made a call to Onan of Indiana and asked them the differences between the 2.. There was not much.. just make sure that which ever you go with has the 2 breakers, BOTH at 30AMP... there was 1 or 2 members here that stated they would toss a breaker running 2 AC's with the smaller..

the other was consumption on full load.. The tech told me that a 6.5 would work less than the 5.5, therefore it would use less LP.... Not sure that is correct but it sounded good to me.. After thinking about it, I decided on the additional $1200.00 and the 6500

Here is the comparison sheet on both - https://www.norwall.com/compare/

Models and ratings
Model Fuel Packaging Hz RPM Watts Voltage Amps Phase
Circuit
breaker
5.5 HGJAB-1270 (1381**) LP vapor Tubbed 60 2400 5500 120 45.8 1 (2) 30 A
5.5 HGJAB-1119 (1220**) LP vapor Tubbed 60 2400 5500 120 45.8 1 (1) 30 A, (1)
20 A HACR
5.5 HGJAB-1038 (1049**) Gasoline Tubbed 60 2400 5500 120 45.8 1 (2) 30 A
5.5 HGJAB-901 (912**) Gasoline Tubbed 60 2400 5500 120 45.8 1 (1) 30 A, (1)
20 A HACR
5.5 HGJAB-6755* (7866**) Gasoline Tubbed 60 2400 5500 120 45.8 1 (2) 30 A, (1)
20 A HACR
5.5 HGJAB-7103* (8214**) Gasoline Tubbed 60 2400 5500 120 45.8 1 (2) 30 A, (1)
20 A HACR

I have run my Redwood in 100 degree temps for 4 straight days on the Onan, with having the 6500, I was able to run BOTH ac's. micro and all other stuff with no problem..
BUT - IT WAS THIRSTY.. I ran threw 6 of the 40 lb bottles of LP and that was a large pain lifting them in and out of the truck... If possible, pay the extra cash and have a gas tank installed.. I believe that 1 or 2 here had that done at Onan

Good Luck with your decision ! !

Joe

I agree with Joe and would probably go with the 6500. It can be confusing though. I had my selling dealer install a 5500 Onan LP Gold generator and didn't question going with the 6500 because the factory Redwood option is the 5500. My 2018 Redwood is equipped with a power control system that manages the AC loads of the two roof air units and the electric water heater. Apparently the system sheds or doesn't allow loads to come on when other loads are at their maximum. It works pretty good because I have been able to run both my AC units and everything else on the 5500 without any issues.

the smaller 5500 watt generator will use more fuel at 3/4 load then the 6500 with the same load. if you don't see yourself needing to run 2 AC units at the same time the 5500 will be fine. if your in a warm climate dry camping then get the 6500. power management is the key to having a smaller unit.

When I was evaluating various generators, I had to keeping mind that we sometimes do a fair amount of boon docking in remote locations (at fairly high elevations), then we may go many months without the generator being required. So the first basic decision came down to: propane, gas or diesel.

Propane - Very good for occasional use (as no worry about unstable fuel gumming up engine), but uses significant quantities of propane, which could be an issue when in remote areas.

Gas - Relatively inexpensive, and with a 20-30 gallon fuel tank, can run generator for a week in a remote location. BUT, gas is relatively unstable, and can "go bad" and gum up the engine when used infrequently unless diligent about fuel stabilizer and keeping gas fresh. Repair can be expensive and inconvenient.

Diesel - Relatively expensive, more fuel efficient then gas or propane and diesel fuel is much more stable than gas. For our sporadic boon docking requirement, we elected to go with the Cummins Oran Quiet Diesel RV generator.

I may have done a bit of overkill with regard to size because I read that generators become less efficient with higher elevations and knew that we would sometimes be camping at up to 10,000 feet above sea level. So I chose the Cummins Oran QD 8000 (67 amps at sea level) and have been extremely satisfied. With the generator's load variable throttle, it is also extremely quiet.
( I paid ~$8,500 about a year and a half ago).

I have also been told that Diesel can turn with age also.

All depends on your intended use! We used ours in our Redwood 36RL for convenience, not for boondocking. Our 5500 LP ran both ACs and I don't recall it ever overloading. Never any sour fuel with Propane - nice not to have to worry about when storing every winter.

I don't have a generator, needed the storage more! That being said if I'd of gotten one it would've been LP, you already carry it, fairly easy to get refilled, no loss of storage finding a suitable location for a fuel tank, gas or diesel, a big enough tank to run any length of time will chew up a lot of valuable storage.
One other thought, if gasoline powered, refueling could be a huge hassle. Most trucks required tow a RW should be a diesel so if refueling in the truck lanes there is no gasoline so a trip around to the car islands is in order, or hauling 5 gallon cans, another PITA with a 40' 5th wheel in tow.
Just food for thought!

Amazing research. Thank you for all the info.

You guys have given me a ton to think about. Thank you

First of all, I am always amazed at this community's knowledge, willingness to share and engagement level. It is truly amazing.

If my sole purpose is to keep batteries near full capability with occasional draws for AC is the 6500 overkill? When boondocking I currently make do with a portable Honda and can go 1-1 1/2 weeks no problem. I run a CPAP and are mainly concerned with that.

W.

In MY eyes, the 6500 would be way overkill for that particular usage... IF your only going to be an occasional user, the 5500 would be a good fit.

I was going to depend on the Onan for 4-6 days at a time, that is why I went with the 6500.. the 6500 is about $1200.00 above the 5500..

Another way to go is what I carry. We seldom boondock so didn't see any need to install the permanent mounted generator. I carry a Champion 3100 inverter generator in the gen compartment and a 2.5 gal can in the truck bed. Generator fits in the gen compartment and still leaves a lot of room for storage. I made up a sliding piece of heavy shelf material that the generator sits on and at 78 lbs it's not too bad to wrestle out. This size will run 1 AC and a few other things without any issues.

When I use it, I have a cord that is 30@ on the generator end and 50@ on the coach end and 25' long. Also use a 30' long heavy duty cable with lock if wanted. Can lock the generator to a jack leg so it would at least slow down the thief. Lol

With this setup, even under a load, you can barely hear the genset inside the coach and it's not bad outside If I were going to do this more often, I would spend the money and get the equivalent size Honda just because it's quieter than the Champion. I also added another 50@ coach plug next to the pinbox that is wired into the generator side of the transfer switch that was installed for gen prep. That way if wanted, I can leave th generator in the truck bed and power up the coach on the road or stopped for the night.